The words surf, waves and sea kayaks seldom get uttered in one sentence without some sort of feeling of fear and trepidation. The best way to get over this fear is to face it and come to the realization that it too can be conquered. Sometimes by conquering it you may even find a new passion for an all new sport.
Coastal Kayaks hold surf sessions every now and then to give paddlers the opportunity to face some waves under the watchful eye of some skilled assistance. It was really amazing to see how through good tuition people soon appeared comfortable in some challenging wave situations. Also, as their comfort levels increased, so did the size of the waves they attempted catching. The nice thing about Muizenberg is that if you get wet, you will only get wet, there are no hidden rocks or funnies to harm you. There is also quite a few people around so you should always be able attract some attention if you find yourself in a jam. What makes these days even better is that there is always another paddler willing to help and give advice when needed. The key to understanding the surf zone is technique and practice and the day gave ample opportunities for both. I for one was very impressed by the guys surfing the doubles.
Although the Coastal Kayak Surf Session Sunday took place almost a year ago, I just recently completed the video for it, hence the late post.
We have always wondered how Luna & Solo would take to kayaking but never really had the opportunity to find out. The fact that they are totally mad about water was a fair indication that keeping them on the boats would be a little problematic especially on longer trips. We also suspected that Luna would quite easily be able to sit in or on a hatch but Solo would be a little big and at the same time a little nervous to sit on a boat. As it turned out, Solo did not care much for these strange things that float on water, but Luna on the other hand, the pictures speak for themselves.
At first we were a little weary of taking on the open ocean. Everyone in this area seems to be very concerned about big fish with many white teeth, especially in the vicinity of the seal island between Diaz Beach and Hartenbos. It makes sense that sharks will be more prominent in that area but its rather weird to think that something that swims to Australia for his annual summer vacation will confine itself to such a small area. For the amount of people who make use of the warmer waters along this coast, especially at Diaz Beach, there have been very few attacks to this day. That said, we were very cautious and careful, maybe even more cautious than usual.
Launching in Mossel Bay is best done from Santos Beach. In mid season you are going to struggle to get parking so make sure you get there early so you don’t have to walk your boat too far to get to the water. There are buoys in the water indicating the swimming areas and you should avoid paddling in these areas as you are considered to be a boat. Just be aware that there is also other boating traffic in the area as you are very close to the harbour and the Yacht Club.
You can paddle quite close to the shore but there are a few sections along the coast where surprise breaks could cause some entertainment especially on days with good swell. Areas to look out for are The Point, De Bakke, Diaz Beach and Ding Dangs.
Ok, now we made a bit of a boo boo on our trip, we assumed it would be ok to paddle into the harbour as there is a marina in it, and guys on yachts often have kayaks, NO NO NO - not a good idea. We were kindly informed by someone shouting at us from the harbour wall, that you are not allowed to paddle in the harbour. No loss, its not a very pretty harbour anyway, besides they pumping too much fish guts in the water, dem teethie dudes might be around If you decide to paddle past the harbour, you must be very careful as there is quite a bit of boating traffic in the area. Remember that Mossel Bay is home to Mosgass.
Dolphins are a common site in these waters and the one day we spotted a few hundred dolphins swimming past. It was incredible to witness all of them making their way past the beach, their speed and agility is incredible. I also heard from a good source that spear fishing is good along the Mossel Bay coast so if that tickles your fancy, give it a bash.
We paddled about 10.5km in total.
Wilderness Lagoon is another one of those paddles you just have to do. I would rate this as one of my favourite paddling destinations to this point.
Again, it is a lagoon so it will be wise to take tides and water levels into consideration before embarking on this trip and finding yourself stranded. The tide was a little low when we paddled the area so there were times when we had to chimp walk our boats over shallow sections. No problem for Suz’s plastic but another few scrapes to my gel coat - oh well its character they say.
What is Chimp walking?
We found that the Eden Aventure’s base camp was an awesome spot to launch from. Your vehicle is safe, there is a lovely slipway, you can stock up on drinks and munchies at base camp and the people where very helpful in showing us the possible routes and times. It is also good to note that Eden Adventures specialize in organizing adventure tours in the area and even hire out canoes if you forget your kayak at home. If you do bring your own boat, you will just need to pay Park Fees which is covered by your wildcard if you have one. If I am not mistaken the cost was something like R25/p for a day.You get there by taking the Wilderness National Park, Eden Adventures turnoff from the N2 and looking out for the Eden Adventures board once your enter the National Park.
We first headed out towards the mouth of the lagoon which is a 3km paddle one way. This section of the Touw River has houses on its banks but is still predominately natural with bird life and fish life abound.
Towards the lagoon mouth
It was also interesting to note how the waters outward current increased as we got nearer to the mouth of the lagoon. When we reached the N2 bridge the current was actually quite scary so we turned around and headed up stream. A word of caution – the coast at Wilderness is renowned for being one of the most dangerous seas in South Africa. The big waves and uneven ocean floor make for a messy sea with numerous strong currents that often cause unsuspecting swimmers a little excessive excitement.
North of the launch site
To the north of the launching site the river gets more pristine as you go further up. Wilderness National Park has a beautiful camping site along the river with grass all round and ample shade. As can be seen from the photos, the area past the camp is very wild and mostly natural forest vegetation.
Pristine
We were fortunate enough to spot a Knysna Loerie hopping around in some trees so if you are a birder, be on the lookout. This is also where the lack of water became more of a problem as there were some very shallow sections along the way. At the point where we stopped, about 2.5km from launch, the hiking trail starts that leads to the waterfall. Apparently it is quite a beautiful walk along the river covered by forest.
The Serpentine River
Branching off of the Touw river is the Serpentine River which is also navigable when the water levels are sufficient. Here grass and bulrush cover the riverbanks and provide shelter for many birds.
We paddled about 12.5km in total but this can be increased by going further along the Serpentine River.
Launching site
Knysna lagoon is a must do paddle for all paddlers in South Africa. The scenery ranges from natural, lush, forests to playboy style mansions in a matter of minutes.
We decided to launch from the Leisure Island boat club as we figured it would be good to paddle into the lagoon with the incoming tide and out again with the outgoing tide. Please be aware though, we were approached by a gentlemen who asked us to pay R50/boat to launch our boats, we laughed, he laughed, we said his kidding, he said his kidding… Later that day when we were taking the boats out, he made the same joke… somehow I don’t think he was actually joking and maybe he did expect us to pay R50 for the use of the slipway. It is not necessary to launch from here though, if you just drive around Leisure Island you will discover a parking lot for a small beach where launching will also be a breeze. Another place that I can think of is near Lightleys houseboats on the other side of the bridge.
It is vital to take the tides into account. At low tide you will only have access to paddling the major canals whereas during high tide you will definitely have more options to paddle.
At low tide stick to the indicated boating lanes to prevent beaching
Also be very careful when approaching the heads. There is quite a bit of boating activity in the area so be aware of others on the water. Also be careful when you approach the heads on an outgoing tide, the current created by the escaping water, along with shallow banks and reefs can be quite treacherous. It is advisable to stay clear of the heads unless you know what you are doing and are accompanied by someone who knows the area well.
Nature at its best 
We started off by first heading towards the Heads to get a few photos and then we paddled our way back to Belvidere hugging the Featherbed Reserve as long as we could. The natural beauty of the Featherbed forest is amazing to see and no photo can do it justice. You just have to experience it to understand.
The Heads 
Something we are not used to is all the cultivated oyster intertidal racks you see in the lagoon. Juvenile oysters imported from Chile or France are sent to oyster nurseries in Port Elizabeth where they stay for about 3 months in conditions which promote rapid development. They are then brought to Knysna and placed in fine plastic mesh bags and tied onto the intertidal racks. This allows the oysters to be exposed during low tide and submersed during high tide. The exposure ensures that parasites are killed and reduces fouling of the bag and oysters by other organisms. After about 9 months they are harvested and sent to Port Elizabeth to complete the final stages of their cultivation.
Featherbed Reserve Coasline 
Outeniqua Choo-tjoe rail 
Although its manmade, the Knysna Waterfront is another wonderful area to discover. Again, bear in mind that this is a functional harbor with real boats so be aware of other traffic. You really will look rather silly plastered to the bottom of one of the glass bottom Knysna ferry boats.
The Knysna Waterfront 
The harbour is also the entrance to Marina which is an a good view of what it’s like to be comfortable in life. We even spotted other kayaks in the marina.
The marina 
We found a slipway to the west of the harbor where we pulled out our boats so that we could have a milkshakes and chips at Spur(not really dressed for much else). Don’t leave your boats on the slipway unattended as this could cause problems if someone else wants to us it while you not there. There is a little open area next to the yacht club you could leave the boats.
Harbour Slipway 
The section back to Leisure Isle felt like it took forever to paddle, maybe its not such a good idea to stop off and have milkshakes and chips, stomachs full – eyes shut syndrome tends to set in.
Leisure Island boat club slipway
All and all we paddled 21km but you could paddle a lot more or a lot less depending on how you feel. To try to optimize you paddling area, keep the tides into consideration.
On Saturday we did another paddle from Big Bay to Melkbos Beach and back. As we were getting ready to turn round and head back, we spotted a rather large fin sticking out of the water a few meters away from us. The shape and movement of the fin indicated that the creature it belonged to was not a seal or a dolphin. With caution we moved a little closer to try and indentify the owner of the large fin. As is usually the case when approaching an unknown creature of the sea, thoughts of breeching sharks ensured our progress to be slow and careful. Then as we neared, the strange and freakish outline of a sunfish became visible through the murky water. They really are strange creatures!
Sunfish(Mola Mola) are quite common along the coast of Southern Africa and are usually seen when the warmer, jellyfish rich currents hug our coasts. Also interesting to note that they are the heaviest bony fish in the world with the average weight of 1000kg. This is easy to imagine when you see that what looks like a rather flat fish is actually not that flat.
The amazing thing is that the sunfish was just as inquisitive about us as we were of him/her.
Yesterday we introduced Suzaan’s sister to the cozy, comfortable and dry world of sit-inside kayaks. Linelle has paddled before but only on a sit-on top kayak so at first the whole concept of a splash skirt was rather difficult to understand and maybe even a little daunting. As I recall, the first time I went kayaking the thought of attaching myself to something that can capsize and potentially drown me just didn’t make too much sense at the time. That sentiment didn’t last long however, the first cold wave that splashed onto my lap had me raving about this wonderful skirt that keeps the cockpit warm and dry. Of course capsizing a few times and performing wet exits added to the confidence and appreciation for the splashy. After a short while you become so accustomed to having it on that you actually feel rather naked without it and its at times like these that you realize how many rogue waves and water droplets actually make their way into your cockpit. As Suz can attest, splash skirts also prevent unprotected, bare legs from getting roasted in the sun as they tend to be 100% UV resistant. Its hard to beleive but Suzaan managed to burn herself some bobby sox which lasted for more than a year. The sun is so dangerous these days, you cannot afford to go out unprotected, especially not when its cloudy.
Suzaan demonstrating how the splashy works
the customary visit to the Seal family
Linelle looking comfortable
According to the International Shark Attack File, one human was killed by a shark in 2007 and according to fishing studies, humans killed an estimated 38 million sharks – seems a little unfair. When are the sharks going to make a movie about us? They could call it Gluttons I, II and III and the slogan can read "Give them a planet and they'll F*&K it up"
Its sad to see how misconception is causing the demise of yet another creature on this earth. This past December I took some tourists to see how the locals pull crayfish on the Hermanus New Harbour wall. This is a very popular activity with quite a few participants queuing at the gates before sunrise to secure the best spots. When the gates are finally opened, it’s like the start of the Amazing Race, with young and old scrambling and pushing to get to the few “special” spots available. Sometimes things get out hand and verbal abuse has even become physical abuse and all for those “special” spots. What is a “special” spot – one where your net doesn’t snag on the way up or down and where the crayfish climb onto your net like they catching a bus at a terminal.
Every now and then someone would pull up a net and get a little more than what they bargained for. As is the case with crayfish, pyjama sharks also find it hard to resist the interesting concoctions people stuff into the bait bags and occasionally this weakness causes them to get pulled up in the crayfish nets. On this particular day, every shark I saw pulled up, got a knife point in the brain and was tossed back in to the water. In the 30 minutes I walked along the wall, I witnessed the demise of three sharks. This is common practice all around the world, on a daily basis and somehow I don't think these figures are added to the statistics.
When confronted about this brutal practice, the fishermen insist that not only do the sharks eat all their bait but the sharks are to blame for the decline of the fish in the area. Now I understand that these people find it rather tedious to have to replace their bait every now and then, but does this justify the shark’s death? At least the guys I saw threw the bodies back into the sea so something else could eat off it, but it’s not natural and definitely not healthy practice. Blaming the poor sharks for lower fishing stocks seems a little short sited as how many fish do sharks eat and how many fish do we catch for our consumption? How many humans need to eat??
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Deep in the Amazon jungle, hidden from all things civilized, day and night exists to protect us from the passion between the sun and the moon. With love so great that the Sun’s heat scorches the earth and the moon’s tears floods the land, having them together would be devastating for the earth, so to remedy this they will only touch through the shadow of an eclipse.
The ancients always had a beautiful way of dealing with the unexplained. Words like passion and love still existed in their lives and still had value and meaning to others. In a way it’s almost sad that science has answered many of these mysteries leaving us with orbits, alignments and gravity instead of gods, fireballs and demons. Why are words like love and passion never acceptable answers anymore?
Anyway this post is actually about a full moon paddle we had on Wednesday night. Here in Cape Town most of the paddling clubs organize full moon paddles when the weather permits. These are usually very popular amongst paddlers from all walks of life and Wednesday was no different … I suppose its got something to do with the “full moon effect”. I was unfortunately a little late due to work so Suz, Caron and I didn’t paddle with the group. As you can see from the pics, the conditions were fantastic. No wind, glassy seas and some really interesting sunset moments. When we arrived at Clifton we passed the group as they were heading back. It was actually quite amazing to see so many kayaks paddling together.
We stopped for snacks before turning round and heading back. At this time the sun was starting to drop below the horizon and it didn’t take long for the darkness to set in. I always find it so amusing to see how people start paddling faster the darker it gets. Another strange phenomenon is how people tend to try to paddle closer to shore when it gets darker - if you cannot see the break, does it not exist?
In retrospect we should have done more trouble to be on the water 05h30 on Thursday morning to paddle during the lunar eclipse. That would have been quite amazing.
Glassy seas with Lions Head and Table Mountain in background
Side view of Lions Head with sunset effects
Boats, birds & sunset
Moon peering around Signal Hill
Why wake up at 05h30 on a Sunday morning(the only sleep late day of the week) and drive 100km into the middle of a mountain range?
Why hike up into a mountain for a further 5km carrying a loaded backpack and a wetsuit only to clamber down into a ravine again?
Why stuff your already hot and sweaty body into an even hotter and stuffier wetsuit?
Why jump into the icy cold mountain water, crawl over ledges , dive under overhangs, jump down 9m cliffs, swim between boulders and slide on slippery stones to make your way down a river?
Wikipedia describes 'kloofing as an adventure activity typically involves the descent of a deep ravine or watercourse that may be dry or wet. The defining factor is usually that the ravine is several times deeper than it is wide. All manner of walking, scrambling, climbing, swimming, plunging, jumping, bumslides or abseiling (rappelling) could be involved.’
The name ‘Kloofing’ is derived from the Afrikaans word ‘kloof’, meaning ‘gorge’ or ‘ravine’ and is also known as canyoning. The sport is mostly suited for the summer months when the rivers are lower and the temperatures are higher but there are rivers suitable for kloofing in winter too. Ideally it would not be a great idea to try kloofing when the rivers are in full flow as you may end up in the ocean or in some farmers watering dam.
In South Africa there are numerous places to go kloofing, all with different difficulty levels and challenges. In most of the harder kloofing routes you will inevitably be faced with an obstacle referred to as the point of no return. Go any further, and you will no longer be able to go back to your starting point, the only way out is forward. This point of no return is usually in the form of a jump where there is no way back to the top once you have gone over. Some of the rivers provide very advanced kloofing conditions where specialized climbing equipment is even needed. Due to the safety issues it is advisable to go kloofing with experienced guides or people who are very familiar with the intended route.
Our trip on Sunday was a little shorter than we anticipated as we were faced with unsafe conditions at the first ‘point of no return’. The unexpected rain had left a tricky ledge too slippery to traverse so the trip leader made the call that all adventure seekers despise. It’s a tough call that all of us have to face some time or another in our quest for adventure.
After our enjoyable paddle earlier that morning, we headed off to one of the largest shopping centres in the southern hemisphere, Canal Walk. Yes its quite an anti-climax but unfortunately you have to do these things every now and then. It was not all bad though as this is also a great opportunity to visit all the outdoor stores and sample some new gadgets and gear. Great for the imagination but not always great for the wallet. We managed to escape relatively unscathed but who knows, next time we might not be so lucky.
On our way back home, with the kayaks still on our roof from earlier that morning, the car automatically drove past the sea and parked at Little Bay. We had no option but to get back into the water and paddle again. When you have conditions like this, you must take full advantage of the situation even if it means setting previous plans aside.
Serenity
Birds of a feather
Entrance to the marine realm
On Friday the weather forecast predicted ideal paddling conditions for Saturday so we made arrangements to paddle from Oudekraal in the direction of Sandy Bay. Due to the rocky coastline around that area, the conditions have to be better than average to ensure great rock garden exploration and safe landing in an emergency. At 10h00 on Saturday there was still a nasty wind blowing at Table View so we made the call to paddle from Three Anchor Bay instead. Three Anchor Bay seems to be one of the few places sheltered from the South Easter in the Cape even when the wind is howling everywhere else.
Greenpoint
Wreck of the Athens(1865) on the left of the photo
For a change of scenery we opted to paddle to the Granger Bay Marina instead of the usual route to Camps Bay. This is a much shorter route but on a good day you can paddle close to the shore and enjoy the kelp and rock gardens. The visibility was better than usual giving us the opportunity to investigate the world below from the comfort of our warm cockpits. Even though the outside temperature is usually very warm in summer, the sea temperature seldom heads much higher than 10 degrees Celsius. It is also quite a known fact amongst the diving community in the Cape that good visibility is synonymous with icy waters.
Granger Bay Marina guardians
About 50 meters from the marina, Paul spotted a dolphin and we all stopped in the hope that they would come a little closer. Unfortunately this did not materialize, so we continued along our route with a hint of disappointment. The Granger Bay marina would be considered a playground for the rich and famous. Here 36 foot and up is the order of the day, just a little intimidating when you barely make 18 foot. I just love the ambience in these marinas, not to mention all the beautiful toys lined up along the moorings. I often ask myself if I would rather sail or kayak, it’s a tough call because both has a charm of its own. Maybe the best option would be to do a bit of both, but fortunately, I don’t have to worry about sailing for quite some time, until my ship comes in that is.
Playground of the rich and famous
And then, on our way out, THEY came back. Paul’s technique of picking up speed seemed to pay off as they would bow surf with you for quite some time before accelerating into the distance. I on the other hand was trying to do the acceleration and take photos at the same time. It really is a case of paddle like hell, drop your hand in the water, point and shoot and hope that you are capturing at least one good photo. The more photos you take the better the chance of getting something decent in the batch. You just have to hope for the best as there is not much else that you can do. What I have learned from all my attempts is that my aiming is still slightly off, but its getting better.
This post might not be kayaking related but it serves as background as to who we are.
Suzaan and I have two children whom we love dearly. It’s amazing how easy it is to become dependent on their presence and how you miss these quirks when they are not around. Last year we visited Italy and Switzerland for a month and even though it was amazing and awe-inspiring, we often found ourselves thinking “Luna would just love this” or “Can you imagine what Solo would do now”. It’s a bond that may seems rather strange to those who do not share it but to those that do, its hard to live without. Even when they run into the house with dirty feet, or drool on the couch, or jump up against the kitchen counter, or beg for food, or harass the postman, we still love them and always will.
Luna & Solo
Luna is the elder and ironically also the shorter of the two. She would be considered the higher ranking member of the K9 section of our pack. Words like playful, inquisitive, focused and busy describe her character well. We think she may have a slight obsessive compulsive disorder when it comes to playing ball, but it doesn’t seem to have a detrimental effect on her everyday quality life. Give Luna a opposable thumb and she would probably find the solution to the world’s problems. Seriously though, she is rather intelligent and capable of some rather interesting feats. On the night we collected her from the breeders, she howled at the full moon while we were driving to her new home, and hence the name Luna(Italian for moon).
Solo is considered the strapping young lad. People always complement him on his stature and appearance. But what few people actually know, Solo is more human than many humans. When Solo wants to sleep, he finds a pillow for his head, when Solo doesn’t appreciate something, he tells you outright by making some of the strangest sounds imaginable. He is a real attention seeker and often walks up to a person and places his big head on your lap and looks at you with those eyes which subtly demands to be touched. Come night time, he has to spend his customary 30 minutes lying on the bed between Suz and myself. It’s a fact of life, deal with it. Solo already had his name when he became a member of our family and his name actually suites him very well. He is one of a kind.
Solo
Fortunately Luna and Solo share our passion for the sea. It’s probably because they have been exposed to the beach from a young age as we made a point of taking them there often. But still, to this day, they go absolutely ballistic when we get anywhere near the sea and any other water for that matter. The only way to successfully control them on the beach is with a ball in hand. The ball becomes the object of desire and the everything else fades into the background.
We have often thought of how we could incorporate them into our paddling adventures, but unfortunately it’s not feasible as they are not the smallest of dogs and I doubt whether they will just sit on a platform and get towed around.
I think they understand already, that when the boats get loaded onto the car, and the gear gets packed in the boot, mommy and daddy are going to go play with their ball now.